Modi lays wreath at Indonesian martyrs' cemetery
Jakarta, May 30: Starting his official engagements in Indonesia on Wednesday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid a wreath at the Kalibata Heroes' Cemetery here.
"Lest we forget...Paying homage to martyrs of Indonesian independence struggle! PM @narendramodi laying wreath at the Kalibata National Heroes' Cemetery and signing the Visitor's Book," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted along with pictures.
Over 7,000 people, who are military casualties and veterans from the Indonesian war of independence are buried at the cemetery.
These include many Japanese veterans of the Imperial Japanese Army who stayed in the then Dutch colony after the World War II of their own will and fought for Indonesia's independence.
Modi arrived here on Tuesday on the first leg of his five-day three-nation tour of southeast Asia that will also see him visiting Malaysia and Singapore.
Later in the day, Modi and Indonesian President Joko Widodo will hold a bilateral summit following which a number of agreements, including in the areas of defence and trade, are expected to be signed.
The two leaders will then jointly inaugurate a kite festival being organised by Museum Layang-Layang of Jakarta and Kite Museum of Ahmedabad that will be depicting the common themes of the Indian epics Ramayana and Mahabharata, which are strong cultural and civilizational links that India share with Indonesia.
Modi will also attend an Indian community event at the Jakarta Convention Centre here and take part in an India-Indonesia CEOs Forum.
Indonesia is home to around 100,000 people of Indian origin and 7,000 Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) working as professionals across different sectors.
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Bengaluru: Four South African cheetahs arrive at Bannerghatta Biological Park
Bengaluru: Four cheetahs, including two females, have arrived at Bannerghatta Biological Park (BBP) from South Africa, NDTV reported.
The animals, brought from Induna Primate and Parrot Park in South Africa, landed at Kempegowda International Airport at around 1:15 am on Saturday. The transfer was carried out in accordance with the Wild Life (Protection) Act, BBP said in a statement.
Forest, Ecology and Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre received the cheetahs at the airport cargo terminal.
The Minister asked officials and veterinary teams to ensure strict quarantine protocols, a prescribed diet, and close health monitoring for 30 days to help the animals acclimate smoothly.
Highlighting that cheetahs, locally known as “Sivangi,” have disappeared from Karnataka’s forests, the minister stressed the need to raise public awareness through zoological institutions. He also instructed Dr Sunil Panwar, Member Secretary, Zoo Authority of Karnataka (ZAK), to prioritise the safety and well-being of the animals.
The BBP officials said that before transportation, the cheetahs underwent thorough health inspections and quarantine in South Africa as per the guidelines of the Department of Animal Husbandry.
Required No Objection Certificates (NoC) were also obtained from Animal Quarantine Services prior to import.
"Upon arrival at BBP, the animals have been placed in a designated quarantine facility for post-import health checks and observation, after which they will be shifted to their enclosures for public viewing," the BBP said.
This import underscores BBP's commitment to international collaboration in wildlife conservation, scientific management of animals, and strict adherence to regulatory protocols. It further strengthens the park's role in ex-situ conservation and environmental education, official said.
